ward, the wind again moderated, and at six P.M. it became almost calm. This induced us to steer back SE. by E. under a supposition that the gale had subsided; but in a few hours we came again within the influence of the north-west wind, which increased during the night to a perfect storm, compelling us to lie-too under a close reefed main top sail; a tremendous sea at the same time running in from W.S.W. In the morning, having drifted considerably to the westward, the wind and sea once more became moderate.
I have particularly noticed these sudden changes in the weather, as they prove very distinctly, that at this point the full influence of the south-west monsoon commences which prevails over the Indian Ocean. From this time we kept over to the coast of Africa, where we found light breezes from about W. by N., with clear and pleasant weather, which continued till the 5th of July, when at four P.M.,[1] having brought Mount Feluk[2] to bear due south, distant four leagues, the Captain took a fresh departure, and steered about east north-east, with an intention of passing to the northward of the Island of Socotra. A few hours after this the wind from the north-west died away, and at nine it became calm. But before midnight a heavy gale once more commenced from the south-west, attended by a tremendously high sea as we opened the channel between Gardafui and Socotra, when we were compelled to put the ship under her fore-sail, still keeping an eastern course; and during the whole night she strained so much with the rolling of the sea, that the pump was employed every ten minutes to keep her free. By the foregoing observations, it appears that if a line be drawn from Ras Gardafui to Aden, it will give an exact notion of the general direction and limits of the south-west monsoon in this gulf. It very often extends beyond this along the Arabian shore into the Red Sea, as before observed, (vide p. 85;) but on the African side it appears to form a complete eddy, which in all probability is oc-
